FRIDAY/SATURDAY: Chamber & Irish Music at ArtSpace

Special to the Falls Church Times

Jan. 21, 2010

Creative Cauldron will host music lovers to two concerts this weekend at ArtSpace Falls Church, featuring chamber music Friday and Irish folk music Saturday.  Both performances begin at 7:30 p.m.

On Friday, Jan. 22, the Novella Chamber Players will present an international feast, with music from Hungary and France among others. The program will include the Serenade by Erno von Dohnanyi and the Quartet by Debussy.

The Novella Chamber Players are an ensemble of string players who also collaborate with other instrumentalists. In a time when music is often digitized and streamed and comes out of tiny earbuds, they are dedicated to the immediacy and intensity of live performance. In addition to performing at traditional concert venues, they enjoy supporting worthy causes through benefit concerts and appearances. Previously named the Washington String Quartet, they fulfilled a year-long residency at George Washington University. The core members of the Novella Chamber Players are violinists Xi Chen and Elizabeth Field, violist Uri Wassertzug, and cellist Elizabeth Davis.

On Saturday, Jan. 23, Mad for the Road will perform traditional Irish jigs, reels, and hornpipes as well as Irish songs both fun and beautiful. The band has performed together since 2007 in such venues as the Falls Church Summer Concert Series in Cherry Hill Park,City of Fairfax First Night, The International Children’s Festival at Wolftrap, Jammin’ Java as well as local Irish pubs and festivals.

Come and enjoy an entertaining evening of Irish fun. The band plays an interesting assortment of instruments including penny whistle, low whistle, guitar, hammered dulcimer, the Irish drum called the bodhran, and the mandolin.

ArtSpace Falls Church is located at 410 S. Maple Avenue in Falls Church City.